CIF SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

FRIDAY

DIVISION 1

NOTRE DAME (24-7-1) VS. JSERRA (22-10)

Where, when: Cal State Fullerton, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Admission: $5-$12 at GoFan.co

Outlook: JSerra lost to Harvard-Westlake in last season’s Division 1 final, the Lions’ first appearance in a CIF-SS baseball championship game. The Lions finished second to Orange Lutheran in the Trinity League despite being 1-6 after their first seven league games. In the playoffs, second-seeded JSerra defeated Harvard-Westlake 6-1 in the quarterfinals and Villa Park 4-1 in the semifinals. Junior right fielder Andrew Lamb leads JSerra in hits (37), home runs (four), doubles (9) and stolen bases (9). Junior left fielder Lou Fujiwara has 28 hits. Junior shortstop Jonathan Mendez is batting .400. JSerra coach Brett Kay might not decide on a starting pitcher until Friday afternoon. His options include 6-foot-4 junior right-hander JJ Hollis (6-0, 1.15 ERA). Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks is 1-1 in CIF-SS baseball finals. The Knights won the Division 3 championship in 2008. They are Mission League co-champions with Harvard-Westlake. They defeated Huntington Beach 12-5 in the semifinals. Senior right-hander Cole Clark has been Notre Dame’s best pitcher. Notre Dame went 2-2 in the Boras Classic South tournament in Orange County last month.

JSerra’s Trent Caraway, from left, Rysuei Fujiwara, Owen Fuller and Jonathan Mendez led the Lions to a 12-5 victory over St. Augustine in the Boras Classic South tournament Wednesday, April 20. (Photo by Lou Ponsi, Contributor)

SATURDAY

DIVISION 4

FULLERTON (23-6) VS. TESORO (24-8)

Where, when: Cal State Fullerton, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Admission: $5-$12 at GoFan.co

Outlook: Fullerton has won four CIF-SS baseball championships, the first in 1919 and the most recent in 1978. The Indians tied with Sunny Hills for the Freeway League championship. They defeated Santiago of Corona 14-9 in the quarterfinals and Aquinas 6-4 in the semifinals. Junior catcher Nate Norman is batting .422 with team highs of 38 hits and 13 doubles. Junior right fielder Connor Sunderland has five home runs and 27 RBIs. Senior pitcher Sebastian Fany has pitched  a team-high 52 1/3 innings. Junior pitcher Kyle Kim has a 1.67 ERA. Tesoro’s only CIF-SS baseball finals appearance was a loss to Corona del Mar in 2004. The Titans tied Mission Viejo for second in the South Coast League. In the playoffs, third-seeded Tesoro defeated Valencia of Valencia 1-0 in nine innings in the quarterfinals and El Modena 6-4 in the semifinals. The Titans’ probable starting pitcher Saturday is senior right-hander Coleton Dahl, who is 6-2 with a 1.64 ERA. Northwestern-committed junior outfielder Jackson Freeman is hitting .440 with 29 RBIs. Hunter Sablatura is batting .380.

Fullerton players react after a score against Santiago during the CIF Southern Section Division 4 baseball quarterfinal game in Corona on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

DIVISION 6

ESTANCIA (27-5) VS. ANAHEIM (21-9-1)

Where, when: Cal State Fullerton, Saturday, 10 a.m.

Admission: $5-$12 at GoFan.co

Outlook: Estancia is in a CIF-SS baseball championship game for the first time. The Eagles tied Calvary Chapel for second in the Orange Coast League. In the playoffs the second-seeded Eagles defeated Hesperia Christian 5-0 in the quarterfinals and Santa Ynez 1-0 in 10 innings in the semifinals. Sophomore right-hander Andrew Mits (10-4, 0.43 ERA, 99 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings) is Estancia’s probable starting pitcher Saturday. He is batting .467 with 25 RBIs. Junior outfielder James De La O is hitting .372 with nine doubles and 35 RBIs. Anaheim’s only previous CIF-SS baseball finals appearance was in 1980 when the Colonists lost to South Torrance. They won the Orange League championship. In the playoffs third-seeded Anaheim defeated Whittier Christian 9-1 in the quarterfinals and Bellflower 4-1 in the semifinals. The Colonists’ probable starting pitcher is senior right-hander Jillian Albayati, who would be the first female starting pitcher in a CIF-SS championship baseball game. She is 11-0 with a 1.68 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 79 innings. Albayati is batting .362 and her 15 RBIs is second-most on the team. Senior catcher/outfielder Derrick Saim leads the Colonists in RBIs with 32. Junior infielder Sonny Rios has a team-high 33 hits.

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